Signal control devices



June 7, 1955 s. H. LAPIDUS 2,710,318

SIGNAL CONTROL DEVICES Filed May 5, 1955 INVENTOR. 50L ZAP/Du;

A O'Q/VE Y United States Patent SlGNAL CONTRQL DEVICES Sol H. Lapidus,Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to U. S. Metal Products Compan, Inc.,Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 5, 1953,Serial No. 353,211

8 Claims. (ill. ll--61.37)

This invention relates to signal control devices.

More particularly my invention pertains to a device of the characterdescribed which is particularly designed to be attached to an automobileas an accessory for the control of signalling lights.

Even more specifically, my invention is concerned with a device of thecharacter described which is self-cancelling; that is to say, which,after being set manually to indicate a given direction of turn, will bereset automatically upon the completion of such a turn.

Until the present time, all of these devices, either such as have beenmarketed or patented, have consisted of many parts and, hence, wererelatively expensive to manufacture and tended to break down in use.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a control deviceof the character described which comprises a minimum of parts, all ofwhich are very simple, whereby the device can be manufactured at a lowcost and will be particularly rugged.

Other objects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part willbe pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the device hereinafter described and of which the scopeof application will be indicated in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings in-which is shown one of the variouspossible embodiments of my invention,

Fig. l is a vertical sectional View through a control device embodyingmy invention, the same being shown in neutral position and secured tothe steering column of an automobile;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the control device with its cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the device with its cover removed, the samebeing shown as it appears when in position to signal a left-hand turn;and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 ofFig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral ltldenotes the hub of a conventional steering wheel at the upper end of a.steering column which is enclosed in a stationary steering post 12.

Detachably attached to the steering post in any suitable fashion, as forinstance by a clampin ring 14, is a signal control device 16 embodyingmy invention. Said device includes a housing 18 which for convenienceconstitutes an upper half 2t and a lower half 22 conventionallyinterfitted. The two halves of the housing are held together suitably,as by a screw 24. The unthreaded shank 26 of the screw extends through apassageway 28 in the lower housing half and the threaded tip 30 of thescrew engages a tapped bore 32 in a boss 34 extending integrally fromthe upper housing half 20. The tip of the screw is of lesser diameterthan the shank so as to form a shoulder for limiting insertion of thescrew into the boss.

The housing is fastened to the clamping ring 14 in some Lil l'lll'if'iii l atentecl June 7, E5 55 suitable manner as for instance byan angle bracket 36.

Enclosed within the housing is a signal control mechanism 38 including aswitch 44) of standard double throw construction. Said switch is of thesingle pole type; although it will be understood that any suitable formof switch can be used depending upon the character of the signallingcircuit employed. Customarily a single line circuit is used forautomobile vehicles, the chassis of an automobile constituting a ground.In such a case there will be one line running to the right-hand signalsand one line to the left-hand signals. Each of these lines is in serieswith a battery (not shown) and the switch so that either set of signalscan be energized selectively. Usually the switch also includes contactswhich will furnish an indication to the driver as by a pilot light thata signal is energized.

In addition to its conventional stationary and movable electriccontacts, the switch includes suitable biasing means, as for example apair of opposed compression springs 42, 44, which bias the movablecontact to a central neutral position where it is disengaged from bothof the stationary contacts. The movable contact is carried by areciprocable block 46 from which a pin 48 projects upwardly so thatmoving the pin to one side or the other of its neutral positionindicated in Fig. 2 causes the movable contact to engage one or theother of the stationary contacts, as the case may be, and thereby closethe left-hand or right-hand signalling circuit. Due to the biasingsprings 42, 44, the switch is of the momentary type; that is to say,unless the pin 48 is detained in either operative position the switchautomatically is restored to neutral position.

Mounted on the switch as by constituting the top plate thereof or bybeing secured, for instance by welding, to the top plate of the switchis a plate 5t having a pair of ears 52. Said ears are seated onabutments 5'4 formed integrally with the lower casing half 22 and aresecured thereto, as with screws 56. The plate 50 also includes aforwardly extending tongue 58.

The switch is arranged to be manually operated by a lever 6G pivoted onthe portion of the screw 24 left clear be'ween the two housing halves.The long outer end of said lever functions as a handle. The short innerend 62 of said lever has a radially extending recess 64 formed in itsunderside to slidably receive the pin 48. Thus, when the lever is rockedabout the screw 24 is will reciprocate the pin 48 transversely. Thelever swings in a slot 65 in the lower casing half, the extreme positionof the lever being defined by abutment with the ends of the slot.

The switch contacts are so arranged that when the handle end of thelever is swung to the lower extreme the position L indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 2 the movable contact will engage the stationary contactsfor energizing the left directional signalling devices. In its upperextreme position R the lever energizes the right directional signallingdevices. The central or neutral position of the lever is indicated bythe reference character N.

Pursuant to the present invention a highly novel means is included toreleasably detain the lever in either one of its extreme operativepositions R and L, and to cancel the detaining means when a turncorresponding to an indicated turn has been or is in the process ofbeing completed.

Said means comprises three elements, to wit: a leaf spring 66, anelevating device such as a pin 68, and a friction wheel 70.

The friction wheel constitutes a dies 72 journalled on a screw 74- thatis secured to an angular platform 76 formed integrally with the lowerhalf 22 of the casing. The periphery of the disc is grooved to receive aring '78 formed of a material having a good traction surface, as forexample rubber. The ring is in permanent frictional engagement with thehub 10 of the steering wheel and the disc is so oriented that the ringis tangent to the hub as is well known in the art. The disc is formedwith an upstanding centrally located stub shaft 8% The axis of rotationof the disc 72 the axis of oscillation of the handle so are in a commonplane which includes the longitudinal axis of the hub.

The leat spring 66 is fashioned from a flat resilient material such forinstance as a strip of i hosphor bronze. Said spring is comparativelyshort and relatively wide. The spring overlies and is carried by theinner end 62 of the lever 6t Said spring is secured to the leveradjacent the screw 24 so that the outer edge of the spring (the edgeremote from the screw 24) can be flexed. The spring is fashioned with athrough aperture 3ito freely pass the protuberance 86 over the recess 6The location of the outer edge 8% of the spring is highly critical.tance below the shaft 313 so that it can be raised into frictionalengagement with the shaft. This relationship may be expressed somewhatdifferently, to wit: the re mote edge of the spring must be close to theshaft 86 and the spring must be mounted for such to the shaft that saidedge as it turns about the screw 24 will move toward or away from theshaft. To increase frictional engagement between the spring and shaftsaid edge 83 preferably slopes downwardly in approximate parallelismwith the axis of rotation of the disc 72. The edge 88 is of arcuatecontour and when viewed in plan is substantially circular (see Fig. 2)with its center at the screw 2 However, the ends a, b of said edge areslightly closer to the screw 24 than the middle of the edge for a reasonwhich will be pointed out later.

The spring includes a depression 99 in its undersurface which is locateddirectly about the elevating pin 68 when the lever 5% is in a neutralposition, shown in full lines in Fig. 2. Optionally, the center of thedepression can be eliminated to form an aperture 92. it will beappreciated that when the pin is located in the depression the springlies flat against the inner end 62 of the lever 60. 'However, as soon asthe lever is oscillated either in a clockwise or counter-clockwisedirection the spring will be raised by the pin :33 so that the curvededge 88 will frictionally engage the shaft 8t) and the spring will bebowed over the pin.

To better understand the operation of the device let it be supposed thatthe lever 60 has been moved to a left-hand signalling position L.Movement to such position causes the pin 63 to elevate the edge 33 andbring the end a into frictional engagement with the shaft $8. Thisfrictional engagement is substantially greater than the bias exerted bythe springs 42, M tending to restore the pin .3, and with it the spring66, to neutral position.

it will be observed furthermore that the frictional en gagement betweenthe spring 66 and the shaft 8t), although suflicient to detail thespring in its extreme lefthand position, is less than the frictionalengagement be tween the spring and sha-t as the spring approaches saidposition due to the fact that the end a of the remote edge 8- 3 isslightly closer to the screw 24 than the immediately adjacent portionor" the edge. Although such refinement is not essential, it aids indetaining the lever its operative position when, due to long use, thefrictional engage ment between the spring and shaft lessens.

It is understood that when the lever is moved to its left-hand turnindicating position the shaft 8% is stationary since it is part of thefriction wheel which is in engagement with the hub it) tha then isstationary.

If, with the lever in position to indicate a left-hand urn, the steeringwheel is turned in a counter-clockwise direction to make such a leftturn, the friction whee will turn in a clockwise direction. This willtend to turn the spring in a counter-cloclow'ise direction about thescrew This edge must be disposed a short disiovernent relative 24.However, the lever 60 already has been moved to its maximumcounter-clockwise position as fixed by abutment against an end of theslot 55. Accordingly, the shaft 8t will slide against the edge 88 of thespring and the spring will not move. Subsequently to complete thesteering operation the steering wheel will be swung in acounter-clockwise direction. This will reverse the direction of thefriction wheel and cause the spring to be urged in a clockwisedirection. Nothing prevents such movement. Accordingly the movement willco nue until the pin 68 reaches the depression 90. At this time thebiasing springs 42, 44 will restore the lever 69 to its neutralposition.

A similar Operation is performed when the lever is ioved to its righthand turn position at which time the end 1') frictionally engages theshaft 8G.

it thus will be seen that l have provided a device which achieves allthe objects of my invention and is well adapted to meet the conditionsof practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made in the above invention andas various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth it isto be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the arecompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A self-cancelling mechanism adapted for use 7 in connection with asignal control device that includes a switch having an operating partwhich is movable between a neutral position and an operative position,said device further ll'tClUiIllil" a pivoted operating lever foractuating the operating part and said device being adapted for use inconnection with a rotatable member: said selfcancelling mechanismcomprising a friction member which turns with the rotatable member, atraction member, means mounting said traction member for bodily movementtoward and away from the friction member, said traction member beingspaced from said friction member when the lever is in neutral position,and means kinematicully interconnecting the traction member and leverand moving said traction member bodily in a direction parallel to thepivotal axis of the lever toward and into frictional engagement with thefriction member when the lever is moved to operative position.

A Self-caJ-cellin mechanism adapted for use in connection with a signalcontrol device that includes a switch having an operating part which ismovable between a neutral position and an operative position, saiddevice further including a pivoted operating lever for actuating theoperating part and said device being adapted for use in connection witha rotatable member which turns with the steering wheel of an automotivevehicle; said self-cancelling mechanism comprising a friction memberwhich turns with the rotatable member, a traction member, means mountingsaid traction member for bodily movement toward and away from thefriction member, said traction member being spaced from said frictionmember when the lever is in neutral position, and means kinematicallyinterconnecting the traction member and lever and moving said tractionmember bodily in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of the levertoward and into fric tional en agement with the friction member when thelever is moved to operative position.

3. A self-cancelling mechanism adapted for use in connection with asignal control device that includes a switch having an operating partwhich is movable between a neutral position and an operative position,said device further including a pivoted operating lever for actuatingthe operating part and said device being adapted for use in connectionwith a rotatable. member which turns with the steering wheel automotivevehicle; said self- I ncelling mechanism comprising a friction memberwhich turns with the rotatable member, a traction member, means mountingsaid traction member for bodily movement toward and away from thefriction member, said traction member being spaced from said frictionmember when the lever is in neutral position, means kinematicallyinterconnecting the traction member and lever for rotating the tractionmember when the lever rotates, and means to bodily shift the tractionmember in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of the lever towardand into frictional engagement with the friction member when the leveris moved to operative position.

4-. A self-cancelling mechanism adapted for use in connection with asignal control device that includes a switch having an operating partwhich is movable between a neutral position and an operative position,said device further including a pivoted operating lever for actuatingthe operating part, and said device being adapted for use in connectionwith a rotatable friction member which turns about an axis in the planeof and inclined to the pivotal axis of the operating lever: saidself-cancelling mechanism comprising a first traction member, meansmounting said first member on said lever for movement toward and awaytherefrom in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of the lever, saidfirst member having an arcuate edge remote from the pivotal aXis of thelever, a second member, said second member being carried by therotatable member and extending at an angle over the remote edge of thefirst member, said edge being spaced from said second member in neutralposition and being movable into engagement therewith by movement of thefirst member in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of saidoperating lever, and a stationary third member for moving the remoteedge of the first member into engagement with the second member when thelever is oscillated on its pivotal axis.

5. A self-cancelling mechanism adapted for use in connection with asignal control device that includes a switch having an operating partwhich is movable between a neutral position and an operative position,said device further including a pivoted operating lever for actuatingthe operating part, and said device being adapted for use in connectionwith a rotatable friction disc which engages a part that turns with thesteering wheel of an automotive vehicle: said self-cancelling mechanismcomprising a leaf spring, means mounting said spring on said lever, saidspring having an arcuate edge remote from the pivotal axis of the lever,a friction member carried by said disc, the arcuate edge of said springbeing spaced from said friction member when the lever is in neutralposition, means mounting said spring for movement toward and away fromsaid friction member, and stationary camming means shifting the arcuateedge of said spring into frictional engagement with said friction memberwhen the lever is rocked away from neutral position.

6. A self-cancelling mechanism adapted for use in connection with asignal control device that includes a switch having an operating partwhich is movable between a neutral position and an operative position,said device further including a pivoted operating lever for actuatingthe operating part, and said device being adapted for use in connectionwith a rotatable friction disc which engages a part that turns with thesteering wheel of an automotive vehicle: said self-cancelling mechanismcomprising a leaf spring, means mounting said spring on said lever, saidspring having an arcuate edge remote from the pivotal axis of the level,a friction member carried by said disc, the arcuate edge of said springbeing spaced from said friction member when the lever is in neutralposition, means mounting said spring for movement toward and away fromsaid friction member, and stationary camming means lifting the arcuateedge of said spring into frictional engagement with said friction memberwhen the lever is rocked away from neutral position.

7. A self-cancelling mechanism adapted for use in connection with asignal control device that includes a switch having an operating partwhich is movable between a neutral position and an operative position,said device further including a pivoted operating lever for actuatingthe operating part, and said device being adapted for use in connectionwith a rotatable friction disc which engages a part that turns with thesteering wheel of an automotive vehicle: said self-cancelling mechanismcomprising a leaf spring, means mounting said spring on said lever saidspring having an arcuate edge remote from the pivotal axis of the lever,a friction member carried by said disc, the arcuate edge of said springbeing spaced from said friction member when the lever is in neutralposition, means mounting said spring for movement toward and away fromsaid friction member, and stationary camrning means in the path oftravel of the spring to lift the same into frictional engagement withsaid friction member when the lever is rocked away from neutralposition.

8. A self-cancelling mechanism as set forth in claim 7 wherein thefriction member leans over the arcuate edge or the spring.

Lapidus May 13, 1952 Dibelka July 22, 1952

